Footnotes #13: The football industry in October

Welcome to Footnotes, where you can find the key stories in the football industry.

This monthly edition is here so you don't miss any relevant developments. The weekly edition is back next week.

October had much to offer, so I have selected over 70 updates, sharing around 100 links for further reading. This is a long read, and you might not finish it all in one go—feel free to save it for later. But if you stick with me until the end, I promise you'll get two moments of pure nostalgia.

Let's start, shall we? Here is the XL menu:

1?? Get down to business

— Amorim and Viana in Manchester; — Financial results in Spain, Germany, Portugal and Scotland; — Metropolitano naming rights sold to Saudi airline; — Arsenal plans Emirates stadium expansion; — What to do with St. James’ Park?; — Liverpool expects over €70 million from the Adidas deal; — AZ Alkmaar extends Nike deal for five more years; — Reading FC sale facing obstacles; — The downfall of Bordeaux; — River Plate’s unprecedented move; — Corinthians’ debt paid by supporters; — First, the fans built the stadium. Now, they can own it; — Gamifying to boost attendance; — A waiting list to leverage the fear of missing out.

2?? By the book and through the loopholes

— Players with more influence in Europe; — The Wenger task force; — Another conflict arising from the Club World Cup; — FIFA reached a deal with Lenovo; — Women stand against Aramco; — 777 partners collapsed; — The 'earthquake' Diarra; — The government proposal for English football; — New rules for shareholder loans in the Premier League; — Is Newcastle independent from the Crown Prince?; — Mafia links with Milan fans; — Cruzeiro fan killed in rival ambush; — PSG penalized for homophobic chants; — Mbappé and PSG go to employment tribunal; — Melero remains PSG's CEO; — Ajax complains to UEFA about Real Sociedad; — Market ticket scandal: case closed; — Greek club presidents clash in court?; — Real Madrid lost against Le Monde; — Barcelona "intentionally misreporting income"; — Benfica accused of corruption and tax fraud; — Pogba will be back in March; — Fake competitions involving minors for betting; — Decision over Israel delayed

3?? They call the shots

— Saudi Arabia is reducing investment abroad; — La Liga deepens ties with Riyadh; — Saudi Arabia in talks with BeIN Sports; — Time for austerity in French football; — Red Bull and the Arnaut Family to buy Paris FC; — Gamco and Fininvest talk over Monza; — US private equity reinforces in Aston Villa; — Textor plans €1 billion recapitalisation; — Foley is flirting with Moreirense (and is done with Casa Pia); — More money to reduce imbalances in Europe; — Women’s football will receive €1 billion over six years; — UEFA and ECA extend partnership

4?? The markets in motion

— An American ride for the Big 5?; — The Messi impact on MLS; — A new transfer window and a new tool to keep track; — A Premier League office in China; — Inter expands into Saudi Arabia; — Madrid or Baku to host Champions League final in 2027; — Ireland wants to host more matches in Euro 2028; — A €1 billion investment fund for sports rights; — Finally, a new auction for Bundesliga broadcasting rights; — Even less money for Ligue 1?; — Eurovision will help French football with global TV rights; — EBU secures media rights for the World Cups in five markets; — Two Circles buys Spring Media; — BBC and Sports pay €77 million for women's football; — The Dutch, Danish and Swedish media rights; — Serie A broadcasted in France, at last; — First Italian free-to-air game in three decades.

5?? Global Landscape

— Tuchel wants to free England from history; — Rodri is the best player; — Varane joins the Como administration; — Marco Curto receives 10-match ban for racism; — Thank you, Iniesta

1?? The markets in motion

Insights into the transfer market, sponsorship deals, TV rights, new trends

Amorim and Viana in Manchester

The football structure at Sporting CP has taken two significant blows in less than a month. Ruben Amorim is heading to Manchester United, where he will attempt to revive the club following the sacking of Erik ten Hag. On the other hand, Hugo Viana was announced earlier last month as Manchester City's sporting director, and he will begin his role next season—it is worth reading his profile by Jack Lang and Sam Lee on The Athletic.

There was some anticipation that Viana might eventually call upon his friend if Guardiola decided to pursue a different challenge. However, the Sporting CP manager has decided to seize the opportunity at United.

Is he the right man for the role? Alex Keble, a football tactics writer at the BBC, explains what the Portuguese manager has to offer.?

No one expects Amorim to win the Premier League soon—even Omar Barrada, United's CEO, indicated that 2028 is a more realistic target [The Athletic].

However, if Amorim manages to achieve this, he would join a very exclusive group of managers who have claimed the title with United: Alex Ferguson (13 times), Ernest Mangnall (twice in the early 20th century), and Matt Busby (five times in the 1950s and 60s), as noted by Rob Draper in Footbiz.

For now, Amorim’s first task is to close the gap to fourth place, which grants access to the Champions League. United currently sits in 13th place, with ten games played and six points separating them from Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa. It is feasible, but he will find a steep climb ahead.

Financial results in Spain, Germany, Portugal and Scotland

Barcelona lost €91 million last season due to a legacy problem: the Bar?a Vision platform, a subsidiary company for media rights. [You can read more in my newsletter Footnotes #9]

Osasuna, currently 5th in La Liga, closed the 2023-24 season with a €2.8 million profit. This result comes after two consecutive seasons in the red for the Spanish club. [Osasuna]

Eintracht Frankfurt achieved record revenue of €390.5 million and a profit after taxes of €26.9 million in the 2023-24 season (€9.3 million more than in 22/23), according to DPA, the German press agency (via MSN).

Borussia Dortmund made a profit of €49 million in 2023-24, almost four times more than in the previous season (€11 million). [Footnotes #10]

FC Porto reported a deficit of €21.06 million for the 2023/24 season, following a significant loss of €47.6 million in the previous season. EBITDA was positive at €60.28 million, and the operating result was €7.23 million. However, excluding player transfers, the operating result for the Portuguese club was slightly negative at -€1.96 million. [Público, in Portuguese]

Vitória SC lost €15.9 million last season, following a €6.4 million profit the year before. The Guimar?es club finished 5th last season in Liga Portugal and currently sits in 6th place. [Observador, in Portuguese]

Rangers reported a net loss of ￡17.2 million (€20.5 million at current exchange rates) for last season, a sharp increase from ￡4.1 million the year before. On the other hand, it is the first time in over a decade that the Scottish club is "free of any litigation claims," according to BBC.

Metropolitano naming rights sold to Saudi airline

Atlético de Madrid announced that it sold the naming rights of the Metropolitano Stadium to Riyadh Air for the next nine years [Footnotes #10]

Arsenal plans stadium expansion

The London club plans to expand the Emirates Stadium, which now has 60,000 seats. [Footnotes #12]

What to do with St. James’ Park?

Modernising St. James' Park or building a new stadium? That is the dilemma facing Newcastle’s owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. [Footnotes #9]

Liverpool expects over €70 million from Adidas deal

The new partnership with Adidas, set to begin in 2025-26, is expected to bring in over ￡60 million to Liverpool (€71.4 million at current exchange rates) per season. [The Guardian]

AZ Alkmaar extends Nike deal for five more years

The Dutch Eredivisie's AZ Alkmaar extended its kit deal with Nike until 2030. [Sportcal]

Reading FC sale facing obstacles

The sale of Reading FC is facing obstacles due to owner Dai Yongge’s reported ￡55 million debt to a Chinese bank, according to documents cited by The Guardian.

With over 150 years of history, this historic club has been grappling with financial difficulties. Currently, it sits 9th in England’s third tier.

The downfall of Bordeaux

Do you remember FC Girondins de Bordeaux? It is still one of the most important clubs in French football history, having won six league titles and finished second on nine occasions. But those times are long gone. The club that once featured Jean Tigana and Zinedine Zidane in its ranks is now struggling in the fourth division, currently sitting 14th in Championnat National 2, under heavy debt. [BBC]

You might also be surprised that Andy Carroll, the former Liverpool, West Ham, and Newcastle striker who represented England at Euro 2012, is playing there. He plans to continue his career until he is 40, as reported by the BBC in late September.

River Plate’s unprecedented move

The club from Buenos Aires aims to raise €18 million through a public offering, with plans to fund a new multi-sport centre, youth football pitches, an educational facility, and renovations to the Mas Monumental stadium.

This move is unprecedented in Argentina, sparking speculation about a potential trend just as President Javier Milei pushes to allow private investment in football clubs via “sociedad anónimas deportivas,” profit-driven entities, unlike the traditional fan-owned model.

The proposal faces significant resistance from the Argentine Football Association, and most fans are against it. As Ed Malyon puts it on FootBiz, “The reality might be that there are years of fighting to come before we have any outcome.”

You can read more on SportBusiness or ESPN [in Spanish].

Meanwhile, River lost the Copa Libertadores semi-finals (South America’s equivalent of the Champions League). But, before the second leg started, the Argentinian team's supporters created an unreal atmosphere. After the game, the police closed El Monumental, temporarily.

The River Plate stadium will host the Libertadores final between two Brazilian teams, Atletico MG and Botafogo, on 30 November.

Corinthians’ debt paid by supporters

An incredible story is unfolding in Brazil around Corinthians, a historic club with an impressive legacy: seven "Brazileir?o" titles (second only to Palmeiras and Santos), one Copa Libertadores, and two FIFA Club World Cups, the last one won against Chelsea in 2012.

Corinthians is now in deep financial trouble, tangled in debt—but their fans have stepped up to help. The supporters’ group Gavi?es da Fiel recently launched a crowdfunding campaign among fans to pay off around a third of the debt, specifically the portion tied to their stadium.

You might recall the social unrest in Brazil in 2014, with widespread protests against World Cup spending and the construction of new stadiums. Neo Química Arena, the home ground of Corinthians, was one such project for which the S?o Paulo club initially secured around R$400 million (about €62.8 million at the current exchange rate) in financing. Yet over the years, the debt soared to R$710 million (€109.9 million), as reported by Globo Esporte.

Now, Gavi?es da Fiel has stepped in to help. Two weeks ago, they signed a protocol with the club and Caixa Econ?mica Federal, Brazil’s public bank, to begin tackling this burden through fan support.

You can read more on Globo Esporte [in Portuguese] or SportBusiness.

First, the fans built the stadium. Now, they can own it

Another club with an impressive fanbase is Union Berlin—the kind of fans who picked up shovels to help expand the stadium with their own hands. That’s right: back in 2008, 2,500 improvised masons volunteered for the task. Check out Copa90’s 10-minute documentary from nine years ago.

So, now Union Berlin has announced a new stadium expansion, with plans to increase the Stadion An der Alten F?rsterei’s capacity to 40,500—32,000 of which standing—, nearly doubing its current size. The club hopes to raise €60 million by allowing fans to purchase up to 10 shares, €500 each.

The German club recorded a club-high revenue of €186 million last season, partly thanks to their Champions League debut after a strong Bundesliga campaign the year before. They made a profit of €1 million.

Union Berlin sits 7th in the Bundesliga after nine games, just one point away from a Champions League spot. It contrasts with 2023-24 when they narrowly escaped relegation in the final match.

Gamifying to boost attendance

Now, for something completely different: Reims wants to call more fans to their stadium with a new gamified reward system linked to attendance. For example, if 16,000 fans show up, all players will throw their shirts into the stands after the match. If attendance reaches 17,000, supporters can see their messages displayed on the LED panels during the game. And at 19,000, one lucky fan will have the chance to drive home in a new car.

The results? Better than on the pitch. On 26 October, the Stade Auguste-Delaune, which has a capacity of about 21,000, attracted 17,172 spectators. Unfortunately for Reims, they lost to Brest—but they are comfortably positioned in the Ligue 1 table, not far from Champions League spots.

Via Nicolas Surmont [in French]

A waiting list to leverage the fear of missing out

FC Versailles, a third-tier club from Paris with F1 driver Pierre Gasly among its investors, has created a waiting list for their distinctive kits, leveraging the fear of missing out.

“By limiting access to the product, the shirt becomes a desired object,” says Evan Crocombette, head of merchandising at FC Versailles. “And this generates the famous FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), pushing customers to act quickly so as not to miss the opportunity.”?[In French]

This semi-professional club decided to promote its town—a wealthy suburb of Paris—on the players' kits while waiting for the right brand [Footnotes #1]

2?? By the book and through the loopholes

Legal decisions, Financial Fair Play, the relationship between clubs and governing bodies, any conflict

Players with more influence in Europe

UEFA and FIFPRO Europe (the International Federation of Professional Footballers) have reached a memorandum of understanding that improves player influence in European football governance. You can read the document here via FFAR Online.

The Wenger taskforce

FIFA announced the creation of a Task Force on Player Welfare last month, led by former coach Arsène Wenger, to promote "further global dialogue on welfare matters with key stakeholders across football,” according to the governing body.

The move comes amid rising tensions over the congested match calendar, with players like Rodri suggesting in September that a strike was imminent. [BBC]

Adding to that conflict, FIFPRO Europe, the European Leagues (representing over 1,000 clubs in 31 countries) and Spain's La Liga filed a complaint with the European Commission against FIFA, accusing the entity led by Gianni Infantino of mismanaging the international match calendar. [Footnotes #11]

Another conflict arising from the Club World Cup

FIFA is also involved in a conflict with two long-time partners—Adidas and Coca-Cola—over sponsorship rights related to the upcoming Club World Cup 2025. Both brands have expressed dissatisfaction with FIFA’s request for new deal negotiations to accommodate the new competition. The Swiss Arbitration Centre in Zurich will settle the disputes in two separate cases.

You can learn more from The Guardian.

FIFA has locked in until now only one sponsor: Hisense, the Chinese consumer electronics company [SportBusiness].

Adding fuel to the fire, Infantino invited Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami to participate in the competition as the Supporters’ Shield's winners in MLS. FIFA's president didn't wait for the MLS Cup playoffs, the competition deciding the US champions. Check out Tim Spiers’ analysis at The Athletic.

FIFA reached a deal with Lenovo

The Chinese brand Lenovo was named Official FIFA Technology Partner, covering the Men’s World Cup in 2026 and the Women’s World Cup in 2027 [FIFA].

And what is this deal telling us about global power shifts? The analysis of Simon Chadwick in Geosport.

Women stand against Aramco

Over 100 female footballers from 24 countries have written an open letter to FIFA urging it to end the sponsorship deal with Saudi oil company Aramco. [Footnotes #12]

777 partners collapsed

Following the collapse of 777 Partners, as reported by Josimar, seven football clubs are now facing an uncertain future. With substantial debts on their books, the question is whether any buyers will make an offer, notes the media platform dedicated to investigative football journalism.

Red Star might be the first club sold, with Steve Pagliuca, co-owner of Atalanta, currently negotiating to buy the French team, as reported by Bloomberg in September.

The other clubs are Genoa (Italy), Hertha Berlin (Germany), Standard Liège (Belgium), Vasco da Gama (Brazil), and Melbourne Victory (Australia), now controlled by A-Cap. The re-insurance company had sustained 777 Partners with funding.

You can also read SportBusiness and SportsPro for more details.

The 'earthquake' Diarra

What a month. The football industry felt the impact of the 'earthquake' Diarra, as the European Court of Justice ruled that certain aspects of FIFA's Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players are incompatible with European Union law. [Read Footnotes #9]

The governing body has already announced a global dialogue to adapt the controversial Article 17 of those regulations and took concrete steps to listen to stakeholders, inviting bodies such as the European Club Association, FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association to give their opinion and set up a platform to receive feedback from around the world until 15 November 2024 [FIFA].

The government proposal for English football

The Labour government has introduced an updated bill to establish an independent football regulator. This new body could have the power to examine the financial distribution among clubs, with a significant focus on the 'parachute payments.' The Premier League is unhappy about the proposal. [Footnotes #12]

New rules for shareholder loans in the Premier League

To what extent can owners grant loans to their clubs? At what price? And should sponsorship be blocked because it comes from companies linked to the owner at an 'unfair value'?

The Premier League created Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules to prevent English clubs from benefiting from overpriced deals with these companies. However, an arbitration panel upheld last month some of Manchester City's claims over two blocked sponsorship deals and another related to interest-free loans from shareholders [read Footnotes #10].?

This ruling is separate from the 115 charges Manchester City faces for alleged breaches of the Premier League's Financial Fair Play regulations.

The Premier League is now working to clarify the regulations and the clubs will get revised proposals to change the rules. [SportsPro]

Is Newcastle independent from the Crown Prince?

Has Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman been involved in the Newcastle United takeover??

Leaked WhatsApp messages from former minority co-owner Amanda Staveley suggest that there was indeed significant involvement [The Guardian].?

However, the Premier League maintains its stance on the ￡305 million (€366 million) deal from 2021. According to The Guardian, the Premier League remains convinced that the Saudi state is not interfering in Newcastle’s management [Footnotes #12].

Mafia links with Milan fans

Italian police have arrested 19 people, including the leaders of the AC Milan and Inter Milan 'ultras' fan groups, accused of criminal links to the 'Ndrangheta' mafia.

You can read the details in the Associated Press.

Cruzeiro fan killed in rival ambush

A Cruzeiro fan was killed in a violent ambush by rival Palmeiras supporters in S?o Paulo state after returning from a match. At least 12 others were injured. [Associated Press]

PSG penalized for homophobic chants

PSG will have to close part of the Parc des Princes for their Ligue 1 match against Toulouse on 22 November, as punishment for homophobic chanting by the Parisian fans during PSG's victory over Strasbourg. [BBC]

Mbappé and PSG go to employment tribunal

The clash between PSG and Kylian Mbappé is far from settled. The French league's appeals commission has ruled that, yes, the Parisian club must pay €55 million to Mbappé—the final three months of salary and bonuses—following an earlier decision by Ligue 1. However, PSG maintains that Mbappé waived this amount in 2023 and is standing firm in its refusal to pay.

The dispute is now going to an employment tribunal [The Athletic]

Melero remains PSG's CEO

Last month, PSG also appointed Victoriano Melero to a permanent CEO role. He has been the acting CEO since February 2023 [Sportcal].?

Ajax complains to UEFA about Real Sociedad

The Dutch club submitted a complaint to UEFA after Real Sociedad refused to sell tickets to Ajax fans. [The Athletic]

Market ticket scandal: case closed

The Swiss Attorney General's office closed its investigation into the black market ticket scandal surrounding the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a case that is part of the corruption inquiries that resulted in the downfall of former FIFA secretary-general Jér?me Valcke.

For more detail check SportBusiness.

Greek club presidents clash in court?

Evangelos Marinakis, the owner of Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos, is suing Irini Karipidis, the president of Greek club Aris Thessaloniki, for libel. Karipidis has accused Marinakis of match-fixing and bribery, among other crimes, and her attorneys presented new allegations in the High Court in London.

Read more on The Athletic and The Guardian.

Real Madrid lost against Le Monde

In 2006, Le Monde published an article about doping, suggesting there were links between Eufemiano Fuentes, a Spanish doctor accused of being part of a doping scheme, and four Spanish clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The two clubs have always denied doping or any connection with Fuentes—who was later convicted in 2013 and cleared of all charges in 2016—but Real Madrid went further at the time and sued Le Monde.?

After going through several courts, the case was decided last month by the European Court of Justice, and Real Madrid lost [Footnotes #9]

Barcelona "intentionally misreporting income"

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favour of UEFA, confirming that Barcelona had improperly declared profits related to TV rights in 2022 and had been “intentionally misreporting income." [Footnotes #11]

Benfica accused of corruption and tax fraud

The Portuguese prosecutors believe that between 2016 and 2019, Benfica and Vitória de Setubal simulated buying and selling players, which allowed the 'Eagles' to inject cash into the struggling club. Benfica denies any wrongdoing. [Footnotes #11]

Pogba will be back in March

It started as a four-year ban, but after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Paul Pogba saw the doping offence reduced to 18 months (from September 2023) [Footnotes #9]

Fake competitions involving minors for betting

1XBet is hosting and streaming hundreds of thousands of faked competitions, some involving minors, to profit from bets on these events, according to a joint investigation by Josimar and Bellingcat. [Check Footnotes #12]

Decision over Israel delayed

Human Rights Watch and UN Special Rapporteurs, among others, urged FIFA to ban Israeli clubs following the invasion of Gaza. But the government body forwarded the matter to a committee.

Via Katarina Pijetlovic.

3?? They call the shots

The owners, the investors, the football governing bodies' decisions.

Saudi Arabia is reducing investment abroad

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it would scale back international spending.

You can read more on SportsPro.

La Liga deepens ties with Riyadh

The Spanish La Liga signed a partnership with Riyadh Season, a series of sporting, entertainment and cultural events promoted by Saudi authorities to boost tourism in that region. The president of La Liga, Javier Tebas, has had a complex relationship with Saudi Arabia's rise in sports and the increasing football ties between the two countries. [Footnotes #10]

Saudi Arabia in talks with BeIN Sports

Shortly after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund purchased Newcastle, the country began talks to acquire BeIN Sports, the Qatari broadcaster holding the Premier League TV rights for the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey, according to The Telegraph.

Time for austerity in French football

After failing to meet promises of significantly higher TV revenue for Ligue 1 clubs, the French football governing body's president, Vincent Labrune, will face a 30% salary cut, reducing his earnings from €1.2 million. According to L'Equipe [in French], the LFP also plans to reduce other costs.

Red Bull and the Arnaut Family to buy Paris FC

The Arnault family is partnering with Red Bull to buy French second-division club Paris FC from Pierre Ferracci. Known for their luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Tag Heuer, the Arnaults will acquire an initial 55% stake in the club. Red Bull will keep 15%. And Ferracci—the current president and majority shareholder—will retain 30% until 2027.

Paris FC confirmed that Agache, owned by the Arnault family, has entered exclusive negotiations for the acquisition [Reuters]

Gamco and Fininvest talk over Monza?

US fund Gamco Investors, led by Mario Gabelli, is discussing with the Berlusconi family's Fininvest to acquire its majority stake in Serie A club AC Monza.

Bloomberg has the details.

US private equity reinforces in Aston Villa

Atairos has raised its stake in Aston Villa to 31.1% with a new ￡50 million investment (€59.6 million at current exchange rates), following previous increases from the US private equity firm [Athletic].

Textor plans €1 billion recapitalisation

John Textor's Eagle Football has announced plans for a €1 billion recapitalization and is trying to borrow about $300 million to help repay a loan from Ares Management Corp.

You can read more in SportBusiness, Bloomberg and Footbiz.

Foley is flirting with Moreirense (and is done with Casa Pia)

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley is negotiating to buy Portuguese club Moreirense. According to The Athletic, talks with Casa Pia, another Portuguese club in which Foley was interested, have broken down. [Check Footnotes #10].

More money to reduce imbalances in Europe

UEFA promises to distribute €308 million in solidarity payments to clubs outside its competitions to reduce financial imbalances and support leagues with fewer resources. Payments are capped at €10 million for the top five federations, with the remaining funds allocated to 50 other associations, depending on meeting governance and youth development standards [Off the Pitch]

Women’s football receiving €1 billion over six years

UEFA has pledged €1 billion over the next six years to boost women’s football across Europe, aiming for 5,000 professional players and six professional leagues by 2030. [Reuters]

UEFA and ECA extend partnership

UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) extended their partnership agreement until 2033, reaffirming UEFA’s role as Europe’s football authority and the ECA as the representative body for clubs. [Sportcal]

4?? The markets in motion

Insights into the transfer market, sponsorship deals, TV rights, new trends

An American ride for the Big 5?

Everyone is eager to take advantage of the American enthusiasm for (the other) football these days. Some 'Big 5' leagues and clubs want to play matches across the Atlantic. But who truly benefits? Rob Draper advises in Footbiz that “in England especially, clubs will need to tread carefully and pick their battles wisely.”

The Messi impact on MLS

With stars like Messi and Suarez, MLS hit a new attendance record, drawing nearly 11.5 million fans and averaging 23,234 per match this season.

You can read more on CNBC.

A new transfer window and a new tool to keep track

FIFA proposed a third transfer window just before the controversial Club World Cup, featuring a new 32-team format. This exceptional window, set to open at the beginning of June and close five days before the competition, is intended to "make it easier for teams to sign players" and provide clubs with "the appropriate legal framework to strengthen themselves for the competition.” [Footnotes #9]

The governing body also launched an interactive tool to keep track of the global transfer window. It has live updates.

A Premier League office in China

The Premier League has announced an international office in Beijing “to support the continued growth of the League and its clubs in China” [Premier League]. This office “will help create more opportunities for fans in China to engage with the League and clubs” and “enable the League to collaborate with local football authorities and partners to promote the growth of the game at all levels”, the Premier League explained.

Inter expands into Saudi Arabia

Inter is the first international club to secure a commercial license (MISA) in Saudi Arabia, the club announced.

Madrid or Baku to host Champions League final in 2027

Spain or Azerbaijan? One will host the men's Champions League final in 2027, replacing Milan's San Siro. UEFA will announce the decision in May 2025.

UEFA also announced that Warsaw, Barcelona's Camp Nou, Basel, and Cardiff submitted bids to host the Women's Champions League final that year. [ESPN]

Ireland wants to host more matches in Euro 2028

Rebuilding the Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Northern Ireland would be prohibitively expensive. Estimated at ￡180 million (€216 million) when Britain federations and Ireland won the Euro 2028 bid in October last year, the cost has since risen to potentially more than ￡400 million (€480 million). As a result, the British government dropped the five matches in Belfast.

Where will they go? Ireland's neighbours, who will host six matches at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, have told UEFA they want more.

For more detail read it on the BBC.

A €1 billion investment fund for sports rights

The Barcelona-based multimedia company Grup Mediapro is creating a €1 billion investment fund for acquiring traditional and emerging sports rights, with external investors already in advanced talks.

Check 2Playbook for more details. [in Spanish]

Finally, a new auction for Bundesliga broadcasting rights

The German Football League (DFL), which is attempting to sell the media rights for the new cycle (2025-26 to 2028-29), was ordered by the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS) in September to re-tender 196 matches because the DFL had breached competition law. DAZN emerged victorious.

However, the Bundesliga is now back on track, with the DFL announcing that it will resume proceedings on 25 November. [SportBusiness]

Even less money for Ligue 1?

BeIN Sports has made its first payment of €15 million to France’s Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) for its nearly €100 million annual rights deal but stated that this payment is only for media rights, not sponsorship rights, raising concerns about its future commitment. [SportBusiness]

Eurovision will help French football with global TV rights

LFP has partnered with Eurovision Services for a three-season contract to manage the global distribution of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches. [SportBusiness]

EBU secures media rights for the World Cups in five markets

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) secured a new media rights agreement with FIFA for the next two men's World Cups (2026 and 2030), covering Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Israel (in this case including only the earlier stage of the competition).

The USA, Canada, and Mexico will host the 2026 World Cup, while Portugal, Spain, and Morocco will organize the 2030 edition. [SportBusiness]

FIFA has also opened tenders in Portugal, Ireland, Cambodia, Taiwan, and Vietnam [SportBusiness].

Two Circles buys Spring Media

The sports marketing agency Two Circles has revealed that it has acquired the Sweden-based sports media company Spring Media [Sportcal]

BBC and Sports pay €77 million for women's football

The women's professional leagues in England announced a five-year domestic broadcast deal valued at ￡65 million (€77 million at current exchange rates) with Sky Sports and the BBC.

Via The Women's Football Finance Podcast.

The Dutch, Danish and Swedish media rights

IMG has secured the Dutch Eredivisie's international broadcasting rights for another five years [SportBusiness]. And they announced plans to launch an online streaming platform for matches not picked up by international broadcasters. [SportBusiness].

In Sweden, TV4 Media will become the exclusive broadcaster for Allsvenskan and Superettan (the first and second tiers of Swedish football) for the 2026-2031 period. [SportBusiness]

And Spring Media is selling international rights to the Danish Superliga. [SportBusiness]

Serie A broadcasted in France, at last

It was challenging—as everything related to media rights is these days—but Italian Serie A has finally reached an agreement with a French broadcaster. L'Equipe will air two league fixtures per matchday. [Sportcal]

First Italian free-to-air game in three decades

For the first time in almost 30 years, Italians could watch a game on free-to-air television following a limited ‘try and buy’ offer from DAZN [SportBusiness]. The last match shown under such conditions was Juventus vs. Sampdoria in April 1996.

Now, a moment of nostalgia: Juventus, led by Marcello Lippi, featured stars like Vialli, Del Piero, and Ravanelli (who came off the bench), while Sven-G?ran Eriksson's Sampdoria included Walter Zenga, Mancini, a young Clarence Seedorf (20 years old), and Enrico Chiesa (the father), who scored one goal and provided two assists. Sampdoria won 3-0.

Juventus finished second in the league that season—but went on to become European champions—behind an AC Milan side featuring Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Marcel Desailly, Zvonimir Boban, Roberto Baggio, Dejan Savi?evi?, and George Weah.

Those were the glorious days of Italian football.

5?? Global Landscape

Football developments across the globe.

Tuchel wants to free England from history

The Football Association appointed the German coach to lead the England squad. “We have to free ourselves from history…nothing is impossible,” Thomas Tuchel told Dan Roan on the BBC.

This choice has sparked controversy, particularly regarding his nationality. “Sorry, I have a German passport,” he responded to the critics. “Everyone has their opinion, and I can understand when someone says: ‘I would fancy an English coach for an English team.’”

He is the third non-British England coach, following Sven-G?ran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

You have more information in The Guardian and the BBC.

Rodri is the best player

The Manchester City midfielder won the 2024 Men's Ballon d'Or, while Aitana Bonmatí took the women's award.

The results left Real Madrid and Vinícius Jr. disappointed, leading to a tense reaction from the club [The Athletic]

You can also read Sid Lowe's perspective in The Guardian, describing Rodri's victory as "an act of justice for an unsung category of footballer".

Here are all the winners [UEFA]:

Men's Ballon d'Or: Rodri (Spain, Manchester City)

Women's Ballon d'Or: Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona)

Kopa Trophy: Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)

Yashin Trophy: Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa)

Men's Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti (Italy, Real Madrid)

Women's Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea / USA)

Men's Club of the Year: Real Madrid

Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Gerd Müller Trophy: Harry Kane (England, Bayern München) & Kylian Mbappé (France, Paris Saint-Germain / Real Madrid)

Socrates Award: Jenni Hermoso (Spain, Tigres UANL)

Varane joins the Como administration

After deciding to finish his career as a professional football player due to a knee injury, Rapha?l Varane became a board member of Como 1907, where he played this season. [Como]

Marco Curto receives 10-match ban for racism

The Italian club was also in the news last month when Marco Curto received a 10-match ban for racially abusing South Korean striker Hwang Hee-Chan during a pre-season friendly against Wolverhampton Wanderers in July.

You can read the details on Reuters.

Thank you, Iniesta

Andres Iniesta retired from professional football last month at 40. [BBC]?

The Spanish maestro, who lifted one World Cup, one Eurocup, four Champions League titles, and nine Spanish league titles, spent 16 seasons at Barcelona before moving to the Japanese league. Last season, he played in the United Arab Emirates.?

Here are some of his memorable moments.

Thank you for reading,

Vítor Rodrigues Oliveira